Here Comes Goodbye
by srortiz87
Summary: Post 3x14 'On My Way'. Finn learns of Rachel & Quinn's secret attraction to each other and tries to deal as Rachel and Quinn date. Faberry/Finn. Psst:Faberry is Endgame . Still a good read even though it isn't 'M' :


Pairing: Faberry

Genre: Angst/Hurt-Comfort/Romance

Timeline: Post 3x14 "On My Way"

Rating: T

Story Synopsis: Finn learns of Rachel & Quinn's secret attraction to each other & tries to deal as Rachel & Quinn's relationship grows beyond friendship.

Author Note: Story based on song by Rascal Flatts. I'm not really imaginative with titles :) Lyrics posted belong to Rascal Flatts, not me. Also check out Garth Brook's music – its beautiful.

Author Note 2: I don't know how it came to end the way it did. Finn's not my favorite character by any means but the inspiration just went where it did. This is not a song fic but it does have _some_ lyrics of the song.

**Here Comes Goodbye**

Finn couldn't have seen the first clue for what it was. He thought it was strange that Rachel took news of Quinn's accident especially hard. He didn't think to read too much into it so he brushed it off as one of her quirks of being dramatic.

The second clue should have raised some sort of alarm but alas, love is blind and so was he. Finn thought it even stranger that Rachel felt it entirely necessary to remain at Quinn's bedside while the blonde recovered while in a medically induced coma. Day after day, she sat dedicated with a determined look in her eye daring any nurse to make her leave Quinn's side. Once or twice he's wondered if he was in Quinn's place, would Rachel have been as relentless in her dedication with him as she was with her.

Rachel's devotion didn't go unnoticed. Sue Sylvester, though seemingly harsh in nature, felt much respect and admiration for Rachel's allegiance to Quinn so much so that she made it possible that Rachel would be excused for as long as Quinn was in the hospital. Apparently, Quinn was one of the very few who mattered much to Coach Sylvester. For once, Principal Figgins, along with the rest of Rachel's teachers didn't argue. While Quinn might have once been feared, she was now regarded as a beloved student and peer.

However Finn was unaware of all of this. The only thing Finn _was_ aware of was that Rachel couldn't and wouldn't go through the wedding without Quinn. Even hearing the word wedding made Rachel stiffen, her face going pale at the mere mention as if it physically hurt her to consider it. There was no doubt in the fact that for as long as Quinn remained in the hospital; Finn found that he didn't really exist to his supposed fiancé.

The third and final clue was the most obvious and hardest pill Finn would ever have to swallow. After giving Rachel a week's worth of time and space, Finn returned to the hospital after school knowing full well Rachel would be at Quinn's bedside.

What Finn doesn't expect, as he walks closer, is to find Quinn, not only awake, but her and Rachel looking at each other in a way that almost looks...loving? He stops in his tracks a few feet away, still out of eyeshot, to watch their atypical interaction.

Rachel breaks eye contact to admire their intertwined hands, and looks back up to Quinn. He watches in abject shock as their faces move closer to one another, their lips meeting softly. As they kiss, their movements become more passionate. Quinn's chest starts to heave heavily; Rachel grasps the blonde's face in her hands, her fingers weaving into the hair behind Quinn's neck. When they pull away from each other, it is only slightly. He thinks that it took longer to wait for their kiss to end than he expected; their foreheads meet gently and both girls have beaming smiles on their faces. He watches Rachel smile in a way that he's never seen before now and his heart drops that it was never because of him.

Anger and sadness build up within him, each emotion racing to overwhelm each other. He closes his eyes hoping that what he's seen was all just a really bad dream. After a few moments he opens his eyes to find them and watch as Rachel gently strokes Quinn's bruised face. As he backs away, he bumps into a short portly nurse who looks too hurried to wait for an apology. Quickly muttering 'sorry', he turns and leaves hoping that when he gets home, Kurt won't be so he won't have to bring up what he saw. Or why he feels like he's been hit by a truck too.

Hours later he remained in his room, lying on his unmade bed gripping his phone like a lifeline knowing in his heart that Rachel wouldn't call, yet he still hoped. Every couple of minutes since he had arrived home he looked hopelessly at his phone, willing it to somehow ring with Rachel's name as the caller ID. He couldn't stop himself from replaying the earlier events in his mind. Betrayal and anger welled up in his body; he felt like he could explode. Taking one last look at his cell phone, he cursed at it and threw it against the wall and watched as it broke into pieces on the floor.

The next couple of days at school were strange to say the least. Quinn and Rachel returned to school and continued to spend as much time together as possible. No one knew how to take the sudden shift that had taken place between Finn and Rachel. Only weeks ago they were seemingly basking in their engagement but now they seemed so far removed from each other, it was like they were complete strangers to one another.

Finn had made himself noticeably scarce at school. When prompted about when the rescheduled nuptials would be, he gave no answers. And when the glee members deferred to Kurt, he could only shrug with a look of uncertainty. Finn flat out refused to discuss anything regarding his supposed fiancé. If anyone tried to ask Rachel, Quinn would remind them she had recently gotten hit by a truck, which shut said person right up. Not many others brought it up.

It was Wednesday afternoon in Glee Club, the first meeting that Quinn would be attending since her accident. Everybody except the tall boy welcomed the blonde back. Rachel sat in the very front chair next to Quinn who had been resigned to a wheelchair until her physical therapy garnered results.

Mr. Shuester got up and clapped his hands together to signal their attention. "Alright guys, before we get started Finn has a song he'd like to sing." Finn took the floor and signaled to the band to start the song. No one except Quinn recognized the country song. It was only because of her mother Judy who had grown to have an affinity for the particular genre that she knew which song he had picked. Her heart clenched at how she assumed this performance would go. Finn had such a pained look on his face and rightly so because somehow he knew. She wasn't sure how and part of her didn't really care that he did, but this whole mess involved Rachel. When it came to Rachel she cared more deeply than any word could describe.

Finn sang the lyrics with such a look of defeat that nobody could help the tears welling up in their eyes. He continued on, singing with a passion that would rival any great artist.

**"Here comes me wishing things had never changed and she was right here in my arms tonight, but here comes goodbye. I can hear her say I love you like it was yesterday…And I can see it written on her face that she had never felt this way. One day I thought I'd see her with her daddy by her side and violins would play. Here comes the bride…Here comes goodbye."**

As the song went on, she looked to the brunette beside her. Rachel had unshed tears in her eyes and a saddened and fearful expression came over her face. Quinn wanted desperately to comfort the brunette but showing any sort of physical gesture would surely make things worse. She didn't appreciate how the tall boy's eyes were trained solely on them. She understood the pain and heartache, the jealousy of coveting someone so special—she did it for three years. But this now, making Rachel sit through this when felt guilty enough was almost torture.

They watched silently as Finn sang the last part of the chorus, **"Here comes goodbye. Here comes the last time. Here comes the start of every sleepless night, the first of every tear I'm gonna cry."** It seemed that as the song went on, his sadness turned to anger and resentment. **"Here comes the pain. Here comes me wishing things had never changed and she was right here in my arms tonight, but here comes goodbye."**

After he sang out the last words to the song, the room was shrouded in stunned silence. All eyes were darting between Finn and Rachel until the tall boy spoke and then Quinn found herself in the spotlight. "I hope you're happy now," Finn anguished.

Rachel who had sat completely still and silent, making no sound as giant tears fell from her face, seemed to snap out of her remorseful bubble and jumped up to defend the blonde but Finn cut her short.

"Don't."

Rachel was struck silent by the angry and vengeful look in his eyes. Alarm bells rang loudly in her mind signaling caution. She knew how bad of a temper he had.

"He's right," Quinn said quietly. "I've taken a lot from you Finn." Rachel stepped back from Finn to become another spectator, eyes flitting between the two. "Finn, you have to understand I _never_ thought Rachel would be mine. Before the accident, before any of this I was going to watch her walk down that aisle _away_ from me…to marry _you_. You Finn! Because you made her happy. But then life happened and here I am stuck in this chair." Quinn wheeled closer to him, forgetting that there was anybody else in the room except him and the girl they both loved. "I almost _died_ and for whatever reason I got a second chance to do things right." Quinn held out her hand which the brunette took into hers immediately. "It took me what seemed like forever to come to terms with my feelings towards Rachel but I did. Then I woke up in that hospital bed and I _knew_, I knew I had to be honest with her. I couldn't waste anymore time."

Finn, who had remained uncharacteristically stoic, finally looked between them. The silence in the room had amped up the palpable tension. Finn hung his head bearing the weight of the truth that the two girls really were meant for each other. "So," Finn said slowly. "It's not really a coincidence that our names rhyme does it?"

Everyone laughed except for Quinn and Rachel who remained silent. With a somber expression, Rachel took the ring out of her dress pocket and held it out to him. As Finn looked into her eyes, filled with unshed tears, he knew that she was truly sorry.

After he took it back, he clenched it in his hand hoping the visceral pain ebbing in his chest would go away. Rachel was trying so hard not to cry but the tears shed nonetheless. She would've broken down completely if her hand wasn't still incased in Quinn's. The tall boy could feel the wounds in his heart tear a little bit more when he watched them look at each other. Their eyes were filled with so much love and devotion. He thought it strange that he had seen that look many times, especially on Quinn's face. That expression was always for Rachel…and never for him.

Weeks later, after the graduation ceremony ended and all the graduates were congregating with each other to say their goodbyes and their families taking pictures to remember the momentous occasion. The Berry men and Judy Fabray were talking amicably about their children and the future that lies ahead for them, delighting at how tightly it would intertwine. Rachel and Quinn who, after torturous months of physical therapy, was finally able to stand and walk to receive her diploma, stood beside Rachel hands clasped together as if they were each other's life line.

Part of Finn didn't want to go and greet them but after having had many conversations with Kurt and his Mom and Burt gave him the courage to. His family had helped him realize that neither girl had it easy when it came to their lives and enduring high school. Rachel, the social outcast whose ambition was mistaken for arrogance, ridiculed every day for everything she did including her questionable fashion sense and two gay fathers. Quinn, a lonely girl with no amount of self esteem to speak of hiding behind a mask terrified of falling short of high expectations set on her by her parents, her coach, friends and herself. They had everything going against them and yet they couldn't help but remain in each other's orbit. The aloof demeanor Finn had always seen on his ex-girlfriend's face was gone, replaced with open joy and love towards her new family and his _other_ ex-girlfriend. Both of them looked so happy, and he couldn't hate them for that. Not anymore.

He slowly made his way over, reminding himself to breathe. Everyone in the group felt a little awkward but he kept a smile on his face and said his final goodbyes, wishing them well in New York. Surely, that's where Rachel would go, and Quinn wouldn't be too far away from her at Yale.

It wasn't until five years later that the three of them would see each other again.

Quinn and Rachel arrived late to the reunion much due to the fact that the six month pregnant Quinn waddled slowly behind Rachel, who was anxious to see her Glee Club mates. "C'mon Quinn!" With a scowl, the blonde grumbled, "I'm not a dog Rach. I'm pregnant. I can't exactly move as if I don't have a child growing in me."

Rachel apologizes and picking up their name tags as they enter their old high school gym together hearing the pop music hits from their high school days. They find an older Mr. Shuester first and make pleasantries about their lives since high school. Santana and Brittany were there of course happy together as ever. Quinn knew the pregnant jokes were coming before the Latina opened her mouth. When Santana did, the pregnant blonde shot her a mock glare and a simple 'Don't you dare' as a warning. Rachel and Santana rekindled immediately, chatting easily as old friends would. Brittany and Quinn watched their lovers affectionately.

After a bit, Rachel and Quinn make their way around the room. Rachel's hand gently resting on the small of Quinn's back looking for familiar faces as they go when the brunette's eyes land on a tall, familiar sight. Finn who still has his boyishly handsome grin looks slightly older with his gruffy facial hair. He's smiling at a tall redhead next to him, who's holding the hand of a small toddler when Rachel calls out his name over the music playing.

Looking around, he spots the short brunette waving at him. He grins as Rachel and Quinn make their way over. The redhead's eyes widen noticeably when she sees Rachel. The little boy is tugging at the redhead's hand, trying desperately to get her attention.

"I would have thought you'd grow a bit more but I see you're still tiny as ever," Finn jokes. Rachel rolls her eyes but there's a smile tugging at her lips. Finn looks to the blonde happily. "Hey Quinn," he says respectfully, taking in her baby bump with surprised eyes. "Congratulations!" The happiness he shows is genuine which throws her because she is carrying a baby with his ex-girlfriend after all.

"Thank you," Quinn replies and smiles politely at the redhead. Finn gets a bit flustered and wraps his arm around the slim redhead. "Rachel, Quinn, I'd like you to meet my wife Helen." They both look so happy together; Rachel and Quinn can't help but give ear splitting smiles in response. The toddler grabs everyone's attention by jumping up and down yelling "Da!" Finn hoists the boy up into his arms and says proudly, "This little guy is David, my son."

"You couldn't get her to agree on Drizzle, huh?" Quinn whips.

The two of them laugh at the inside joke while Helen and Rachel wear matching confused expressions. Finn looks apologetically at his wife. "Sorry, inside joke."

Moving the awkward moment along, Rachel gives an award winning smile at Helen. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Rachel Berry." The tiny brunette holds out her hand to Helen. Realization dawns and Helen shakes Rachel's hands with both hands so enthusiastically, Rachel's sure the woman could take her arm off completely if Helen wanted to.

"You're Rachel Berry! _The_ Rachel Berry?!" Helen asks excitedly with a slightly noticeable Irish accent. Her awed expression makes both Finn and Quinn smile; even after all of her accolades, Rachel still blushed from recognition although Quinn is used to it by now. The fact that Rachel hit NYADA by storm and a talent agent picked her up as a client to star in a hit movie, thus making her a well known actress whose face can be seen in any and all magazines, many of which praise her for her fabulous fashion sense. Quinn had earned quite a few slaps on the arm when she made note of how ironic it is that she's being praised considering how bad her outfits used to be.

Helen quickly looks to Finn. "You didn't tell me that you dated _the_ Rachel Berry!" Rachel blushes at the redhead's astonishment.

"Would you have believed me?"

Rachel charmingly grabs the attention of David who's clamoring for Rachel to be held. She takes note out loud of how much of Finn she can see in the little boy. Nobody would've guessed how inexperienced Rachel was with children (with the exception of Beth) by the way she kept David captivated and constantly giggling. After a bit, Quinn expressed pain in her swollen feet and they found a small empty table where they continued to mingle with each other. When Quinn looked away from Finn to Rachel, she didn't hide the look of complete and utter adoration on her face. Rachel released David back into his mother's arms and without a thought, Rachel and Quinn's hands intertwined. Rachel's thumb rubbed small circles softly on Quinn's hand.

The excitement on Rachel's face wasn't lost on Quinn at all. When Rachel expressed interest in having children so many months ago, the blonde was a bit scared of how Beth would take it. She wanted to make sure that Beth wouldn't have the same feelings that Rachel did when Shelby adopted the blonde baby girl. Worries and doubts were cast aside when Beth excitedly announced to no one and everyone that she was going to have a sister. And now…Here she is starting a family of her own with Rachel. It wasn't what she had imagined it would be when she was a little girl but now as she looks back on the journey she's made, she wouldn't have it any other way. Even though she lost a father, she gained two more in the form of the Berry men and they never once belittled her for who she was or who she loved; She got her mother back again who, once a scared housewife using alcohol to numb her pain was now a sober and strong self sufficient single woman who let no man dictate how she would live her life.

Quinn found herself lost in a memory of waiting up for her mom who had gone on a first date for coffee one night. When Judy had come back not fifteen minutes later with her head held high and a smile on her face, Quinn asked if everything was okay. When her mom had said simply she wouldn't be seeing the man again, she couldn't help but wonder what had turned her off of him so quickly so she asked. Her mother explained that when he gave a less than satisfactory answer to her question of whether or not he was a proponent for LGBT rights, she told him, "If you don't think my gay daughter deserves rights like any other then you're not worth my time." The sob that escaped Quinn's throat was uncontrollable. Having her mother as her advocate for such a sensitive integral part of her moved her beyond words. The memory brought a smile to her face.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt her lover pressed a kiss to her cheek. She smiled back; she pressed Rachel's hand to her swelled stomach when she felt the baby kick a few times in quick succession. Rachel beamed, exclaiming to Finn and Helen that their unborn child was dancing. Quinn thought that whether the baby was dancing or kicking an imaginary ball around in her stomach, it still hurt. She felt a familiar wave of nervousness overtake her at the quick thought of Rachel almost being in Helen's position had her accident not have happened. Quinn herself wasn't religious anymore but sent a quick silent prayer to God to thank Him for how things played out. While Helen and Rachel continued to chat about things past, Finn and Quinn shared a quiet understanding smile knowing this was how it was meant to be.

Quinn and Rachel's hands stayed interlaced on the table; While Rachel is distracted talking to Helen who's holding a sleepy David, Quinn is quietly looking around trying to remember faces of those she didn't know. Finn looks at their joined hands, both small and feminine except for Rachel's caramel toned skin. He's suddenly reminded of a National Geographic episode he watched on otters (only because Helen is a nature junkie). He remembers how otters old their paws together while they sleep as they go down the river so they won't float away from each other. He thinks Rachel and Quinn are sort of that way: being each other's life line as they go through their lives.

Garth Brooks' song 'Unanswered Prayers' begins to play in the large gym. No one at their table was a fan of country music but the acoustic melody seemed to bring the conversations to a close. People started dancing to the slow romantic song. The four sat quietly listening, enjoying how apt the lyrics were for them. Helen leans into Finn's side, her head resting on his broad shoulder, both smiling contently with David in her arms.

And as Garth sang about how differently things he had wished for to happen in the past, of how his prayers went seemingly unheard until he moved on and found the person he was meant to be with praising God for his prayers that went unanswered. The song came to a close of how much they had both grown and realized that things happened just as they were meant to. Quinn pulls Rachel who isn't very far from her at all, into her arms from the side. Finn sees them smile languidly at each other; even though it's slight, their smiles are just as bright with the love and emotion that emancipates from their eyes.

He realizes now that no matter how entangled their relationships were, things ended up as they were meant to and he can't fault fate when they all got their happily ever afters…


End file.
